


Be Still

by elsaofarendelle



Category: Frozen (2013), Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M, Iceburns, helsa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-21
Packaged: 2019-01-01 06:45:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,474
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12150930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsaofarendelle/pseuds/elsaofarendelle
Summary: One-shot story sample based on the song Monster from Frozen's Broadway production.This story is a twist on the events of Frozen where Hans chooses to pursue a courtship with Elsa after carrying her down the mountain, starting with helping her control her magic to end the winter curse -- this particular moment takes place some weeks after Hans has been named Arendelle's Lord Chancellor by the privy council and before Anna makes her return from where she has been recovering from her frozen heart in the north valley with Kristoff.There will be an introduction of Once Upon A Time characters and events in future postings.





	Be Still

Training with Elsa to help her control her powers was exhausting, mentally and physically for both of them but she was finally showing progress and Hans was delighted --as far as Hans knew they were both happy with the way things seemed to fall into place. There was a natural rhythm to their time together, consistency, routine, Elsa thrives on this predictability. Hans has taught her reprieves and rewards were just as important as the sessions themselves, however. And so Hans lies down next to Elsa for a mid-afternoon respite. He knew this would make her uncomfortable as they had yet to spend a night together but he lies there with her anyway, secure in the bond between them, pushing her personal boundaries with closeness bit by bit.

After giving her something unfamiliar to deal with in his closeness he takes her hand and began to kiss her fingertips, gently stroking her arm, something that grounds her, touch, something he had learned she liked. Something they shared. When they’re both relaxed Hans shifts to his back, ready to sleep and is surprised to be awakened by  _her_  touch.

She’s writing something on his chest. K? Y? U? He can’t really tell, but he feels the endearment behind each gesture of her fingers and can’t help but smile. He knows there’s something budding in him and he hopes that this means he’s not the only one.

Letters? A word perhaps?

He can’t really tell, but he feels the endearment behind each gesture of her fingers and can’t help but smile. There’s something growing in him and he hopes he’s not the only one who feels it.

Familiarity between them makes it easy to accept his presence on her bed. This vague exchange of intimacy though, it confuses her, stirring things in Elsa she hasn’t felt before this man became a constant in her life. As he lies there breathing slowly somewhere between sleep and wakefulness she tests the trust between them while he is unaware of it.

It’s one thing to act unafraid but she has learned through the years even those who say they aren’t afraid can’t fight what instinct tells them to do.

Her fingers touch his skin where his shirt exposes his freckled chest, tracing four lines from freckle to freckle.

“Cassiopeia,” she says, almost whispering. “She was placed in the sky for enraging Poseidon. She boasted she was more beautiful than the sea nymphs and as punishment, she circles the northern celestial pole. She clings to her throne there doing all she can to hold on.”

Hans smiles and remains where he is.

“She’s opposite to the big dipper and when you’re this far north you can see her year-round,” talking about his favorite constellation he doesn’t open his eyes, “I’ve heard that you can see her dancing with the northern lights but I have never seen the northern lights to know if there's truth to it.” He sighs completely relaxed, then opens his eyes and looks at Elsa.  “It would make a beautiful name for a baby girl, don’t you think? Cassiopea or Calliope - Goddesses of beauty and music, respectively.”

Her hand rests on his chest, unknowingly to her. She is too lost in the picture of a little girl with her blue eyes and his red hair falling in soft ringlets around her face to realize how long her palm has been there with his resting atop it.

“It’s beautiful,” she smiles, nodding. “You can see them here, you know. The Northern Lights. They light up the sky every winter. Perhaps I can take you.”

Hans entwines his fingers with her's, he dares to scoot  _just a little bit_  closer. “I would love nothing more than to see the northern lights for the first time with you,” he says, green eyes watching the spectrum of blue in her own. 

He licks his lips, looking at her he realizes he wants to kiss her and he wonders if he should risk it; if he should break the delicate balance in the moment they are in, and yet, the possibility of moving forward was too enticing to pass on, slowly he leans in and closes his eyes and presses his lips to her’s.

The warm softness has Elsa captured before she can register what’s happened and when she does she finds herself drawn closer to him and her fingers have begun to comb through his hair as she deepens their kiss.

Pulling back for breath her forehead rests against his and her eyes slip closed. She realizes how desperately she wants this to not end like so many other moments like it have in her life. 

She was made to destroy and like all destructive things the aftermath will leave them both broken and she cannot let that happen.

“We can’t do this.” She sits up and quickly places distance between them like they were never lost in each other. “You should go ——before I ruin it.”

Hans was drawn to her immediately but he chose to err on the side of prudence.

“Elsa,” he is hurt by her fear but he wants so much to understand it. “Sweetest,” he says and opens his arms to show her, there is no magic, there is no snow. “You have  _got this_ , Elsa, I know you do, your magic isn't acting up, but, if you feel scared I will give you your space, you know I will always be here.”

“You say that because it hasn’t happened yet ——Anna said the same thing and she isn’t here anymore because of me and I can’t let it happened again. No number of promises or daydreams about having your children or of what we could be together is going to change the truth, Hans.”

Hans smiles, his heart warm yet hurting. This is bittersweet. She just admitted of dreaming of having his children. 

He approaches her slowly and gently takes her hands, kissing her fingertips once more. Something they’ve done many times before but there is new meaning in the gesture now.  

“Your sister isn’t here now, you’re right about that, however, I want you to know that you have taken such long strides from your coronation to today, you’ve hugged me, you’ve held my hand, you have entwined fingers with me and I’ve kissed your fingertips and lips,” he says, considering his next words, “I’m not afraid of you, I wish you were not afraid of me, and I’m willing to wait for you until you are ready and when you are I have a question for you that I want to ask you now but you can answer when you are ready.” Hans takes a breath, “Will you marry me?”

The question hangs in the air between them sucking the breath from Elsa’s lungs as she reals, letting go of his hands her footsteps take her backward to the bed where she sits down and finally looks him in the eyes again, unsure of what answer is the right one to give.

“What if I’m never ready and this is something so ingrained in me that I can’t move past it.” It feels all consuming to her now, hard to imagine a time when the thought of true closeness won’t cripple her, to a day when she can trust herself again.

There was a time when she could. When laughter and love were all she knew.

Sitting on the floor across from her Hans scratched his head but didn’t show his upset. 

“I have faith in you.” He says and realizes that what she needs is to be in control. He needs to give her back that control over herself.

“Close your eyes and make a snowflake.” He instructs, hoping getting her back to a state of calm will reset the mood. 

The darkness around her as her eyes closed is a welcome reprieve from how overwhelming it is to feel as much as she has allowed herself to today.

She opens her hand and feels magic flow through her arm in warm tendrils that move to her fingertips and gather there in her open palm, slowly forming a small snowflake that rotates and hovers there. Elsa moves it playfully from one hand to the other. If she had made a mistake he didn’t mention it, Hans wipes the fallen snow away quickly, as though it never happened so she could focus not on her mistakes but the progress she has made, part of the reason why he insisted they work with her eyes closed.

Hans smiles proudly. If she could just see herself through his eyes. If only she saw the control she has when she is like this the way he did. 

“Now what?” she asks.

“Surprise me,” he says with a smile. “Remind us your magic has fun in it.”

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot has been converted from a roleplay between myself and ofthesouthernisles on Tumblr. We're testing the waters to see if full-fledged fanfictions made from our roleplays would be of interest here so let us know what you think in the comments and if you're feeling inclined leave some kudos XD.


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